kid creole killed all of his own people
instigate the beat genuflecting
in the steeple
video killed what we
once
stood for
who we gonna look to now?

if these walls could speak
i wouldn’t tell them anything
don’t ask me, don’t ask me

press eject, and give me the tape
if you know what’s good for you

ghetto blasting on the basement floor

“Picket Fence Cartel”

we all become
what we most dislike
in this picket fence cartel
tell? there’s nothing left to tell

what have we become
cycle all over again
filled the shoes ’til i was ten
in front of the classroom
in front of my peers
that day will always be remembered
’cause it was etched in tears

daddy taught well
at the end of his belt

we all become
what we most dislike
the walk is too long and i’m tired
tell? there’s nothing left to tell

what will i become
when it’s my turn again
will it hurt me more than it hurts them
scotch tape the volume of my mouth
withold the expression
that i wasn’t allowed

daddy taught well
at the end of his belt

“Chanbara”

valmara valmara valmara flechettes
kiss me with the lisp
of your shrapnel caress
lost this arm, lost this leg
lost this diving board
just a belly flopped proposal
of let’s be friends

tour de force
defacto
ayuchuco
tour de force

prosthetic, prosthetic, prosthetic blemish
necro is the velcro on the charred appendage
carterize solder gun in the melting of seeds
oh dear god what a tangled web we weave

tour de force
defacto
ayuchuco
tour de force

all we are are failed attempts
propelled by stilt-leg presidents
incarcerate the mason fence
like flechettes flechettes flechettes
i’m not biting the lead my pencil’s broken again
we will fill in the blanks
or i can cheat off your test
flechettes flechettes

“Lopsided”

this is the accent of the halfhearted land
does it all make sense now
and if the ship was built in bottled sand
does it all make sense now
the anchor’s kiss was scrawled in dyslexic crayon
yes it all makes sense now

is this just a life preserver
or a bivouac tenure
the tropic of cancer answered,
“drink the quicksand’

a mirror was splintered on the deck floor
does it all make sense now
a stowaway that lived beneath this hull
does it all make sense now
the anchor’s kiss was scrawled in dyslexic crayon
yes it all makes sense now

is this just a life preserver
or a bivouac tenure
the tropic of cancer answered,
“drink the quicksand”
its gills will swin faster after a breath from the shore
breathe the taste of salt water
dry heave up and overboard
ponce de leon wrinkles
let’s make it young again
boat drinks for captains
row our boat stowaway
it all makes sense now
if our map was torn, navigate, navigate
if your compass broke, navigate, navigate

“Napolean Solo”

cut and paste
were you sitting down
on the beaded impotence of new orleans
a hint of suspense when that telephone rings
this is forever

it paved a wave of distance
between the syntax error
from austin’s yellow brick road
this is forever

from this texas breath exhaled
no sign of relief
this you know, this you know
this is forever

march 23rd hushed the wind, the music died
if you can’t get the best of us now
it’s because this is forever

makes no difference
our alphabet is missing letters
seventeen, embalmed and caskets
lowered into the weather
a drizzle, brisk and profound

from this texas breath exhaled
no sign of relief
this is forever

strum this broken harp
we were struck by the chords
set from their hearts
this is forever

“Pick Pocket”

in the humble stence of nativity
hummed the smell of television snow
a faint S.O.S. flickering
riding on the coattails of their ground zero
neighborhood footprints ingrown
the daylight savings time will never know
of this alabaster cold

your lovers quarrel ended up in crawspace
dental identities will tell us apart
teeth marked and bounded with sighs
step into my parlor
said the spider to the fly
stable hooved footprints ingrown

cloak and dagger muzak blared in ohms
in this alabaster cold
ingrown

more calibur per capita
breakfast table search team implodes
the milk cartons that pour will never know
of this alabaster cold

“Metronome Arthritis”

strike this match
and let loose the oven’s breath
up the volume that
flirts with the UHF

swipe the magnet on the audio tape
these arsons of grand larceny
keep running…keep running in place
achilles tendon
severed from the race

quick to the throat
in this ink cartridge funeral
marble caps lock
zip code affiliate
you got a run on your pharmaceuticals
you better change it
before the night grows old

set the temperature on delete
keep running…keep running in place
let’s hit the neighborhood today

you got a run on your pharmaceuticals
you better change it
before the night grows old
prescriptions filled
now cut your suit and tie cuticals
you cut your fingernails way too short

what if forensics finds the answers
what if they stole my fingerprints?
where did i leave my book of matches?
we’ll find you…
we’ll find you…

“198d”

this is forgiven
if the uniform fits
postponed
at the first showing
this is the tension mold
of frozen icicles
and it feels like it’s snowing
you speak in tongues
tremors that warn us of ourselves

born in hearts
etched in cold
at the first showing
(walk away)

nothing bleeds the same
my travel expenses paid
postponed
at the first showing
this dance is out of rhythm
we trip on excess steps
postponed
at the first showing
you speak in tongues
tremors that warn us of ourselves

born in hearts
etched in cold
swingsets pay
the playground toll

tremors that hold us
tremors that warn us
nothing bleeds like

“One Armed Scissor”

Yes this is the campaign
Slithered entrails
In the cargo bay
A neutered is the vastness
Hallow vacuum check the
Oxygen tanks
They hibernate
But have they kissed the ground
Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
Tease this amputation
Splintered larynx
It has access now

Self-destruct sequence
This station is non-operational
Species growing
Bubbles in an IV loitering
Unknown origin
Is this the comfort of being afraid
Solar eclipsed
Black out the vultures
As they wait
Unknown, unknown
Unknown, unknown, yeah

Dissect a trillion sighs away
Will you get this letter
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
‘Cause I’m a million miles away
Will you get this letter
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember [x3]

this could last us all a lifetime
limbs intact, untouched
on the screen of a video tape
confined to bedposts
we wait as lepers
upheld at knife’s reach
we covet all the status quo
this syringe will take a lifespan
it’s filled with bait and tackle
try and catch us if you can

meet us at the corner
of fifth and pontiac
make sure that no one else
is with you
if you wish to see them alive
again
then humor me with this request
humor me with this request
in basements we will hide
amnesia in our alibis

they kept a close eye
on your get well incentive

“Non-Zero Possibility”

I’m just tired of counting bodies
is this mausoleum tardy
let’s just paint you a pretty face
flies dip tongues into tear ducts
in toothpicks fought unborn

contusion is hungry
they still eat their young
proto-culture null and void

all veins in highway laps
this breath collapsed again
this hex was delivered spent
orchestra influenza
drawn and quartered pets
it dwells and grows

this is the pocket-sized edition
rapid sleep through benediction
let’s just paint you a pretty face
museums mark their bodies down
all the tenants found
all the distance in their prefix

contusion is hungry
they still eat their young
proto-culture null and void

all veins in highway laps
this breath collapsed again
this hex was delivered spent
orchestra influenza
drawn and quartered pets
it dwells and grows

fever bliss into central nervousness
bitten on the entrance
I was bitten on the entrance
fever bliss into central nervousness
bitten on the entrance
I was bitten on the entrance

bitten on the entrance
I was bitten on the entrance
bitten on the entrance
bitten…

“Incetardis”

So what comes now
Run through the answers and you can feel the scratching
Get down

This breed bring it against so coy
A levitated incubation
Instincts with imprinted cryptic code
A dotted line hit return dash dash
If you took the time to unmask
Retrace the mockers of intemperance

In with the herd
Split poison ivy scratch rash
This calamine lotion made my skin feel good
Right before me they sat
A snitch inaugurated
Lets slip the hunger of these carnivores

This kin is a knock knock knocking on your door
Is it welcome if it happens
Heart sowed a trick – or – treat overture
With this promiscuous livestock
Every day is November first in this Sodom and Gomorrah

Get down
Run through the answers and you can feel the scratching
Get down
Yeah

This coup was made up incognito [x3]

In with the herd
Split poison ivy scratch rash
This calamine lotion made our skin feel good
Right before me they sat
A snitch inaugurated
Lets slip the hunger of these carnivores

Get down
Run through the answers and you can feel the scratching
Get down

Yeah yeah yeah

Quartets from the heir to the throne [x3]

“Doorman’s Placebo”

Chances are you’ve heard this
But your headphones mute your equilibrium
Hearing tests the mattress hit the mistress fooled
But nothing ever felt this good

Wake you up and shake you
But your motor skills still speak in slurs

Court jester don’t kill the humor [x2]

Chances are you’ve cursed this
The volume of the speakers must be proud

Don’t change your tune
A princess’ work is never done
In the bed and breakfast beck and call

This time I’m leaving you
This time I’m leaving you
This time
I’m never coming back, never coming back, never coming back
Pack my bags you’ll never see my face again
Never coming back [x3]
I’m leaving you
If you never
Never see my face again [x3]
If you never see my face again
Coming back
Never coming back [x7]
This time I’m leaving you
Iforgot to say good night
I forgot to say good morning [x2]
I’m leaving you
Never coming back [x4]

“Rascuache”

of fences with switches
turn them on
the moats of your homes
poured salt on
these slugs
mugshot fatigue
shimmering

pacemaker pace yourself
you were slowly clawing
your way out

tourniquet of gossip
on a board of checkered
chess
salt ring probing
in case of emergency
stampede is coming
mastadon infantry
radiate this frequency
and show me just what
the hell you mean

in a river, the color of red
emerged the baby’s head
wrap her up in the news of the world
dump her on a doorstep, girl

this night has opened my eyes
and i will never sleep again

you kicked and cried
like a bullied child
a grown man of 25
he said he’s cure your ills
but he didn’t and he never will

so–so save your life
because you only got one
the dream is gone but the baby is real

oh–you did a good thing
she could have been a poet or she could have been a fool
oh–you did a bad thing
and i’m not happy and i’m not sad

a chilvirous child on a swing
remind you of your mom again?
she took away your troubles
oh–but then again she left pain

so–so save your life
because you only got one
the dream is gone but the baby is real

oh–you did a good thing
she could have been a poet or she could have been a fool
oh–you did a bad thing
and i’m not happy and i’m not sad

you did a bad thing
you did a bad thing
and i’m not happy and i’m not sad

[repeat 2x]

“Initiation”

i-n-i-t-i-a-t-i-o-n
follow you home after every show

perforated into tiny fragments
heavy breathing’s your new fan club
a john handcock with the safety off
after every show
and how this pedastel fits like glove
such a pity i built no laddter from me
the roots and above
i’ll be hacking off
after every show

initiation
there’s no restraining order to keep me from you
parting contestants never seem to win

watch you clap your hands by the stage
lend me your ears
just another page
in the book that your friend signed yesterday
when i told you not to bother to holler
your telephone’s the one
that helped
me wrap
the cord
around your neck
you know you’re beautiful
when you’re dead

initiation
there’s no restraining order to keep me from you
parting contestants never seem to win

“Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk”

Doctor doctor!
I’m in bed
Achin’ head
Gold is lead
Choke on bread
Underfed
Gold is lead
Jesus bled
Pain is red
Are goon
Grow go
Greasy spoon
You swoon
June bloom